


A Chance to Fight

by Felurian



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Established Relationship, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Multi, Or do they?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-10 17:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8925568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felurian/pseuds/Felurian
Summary: There is no part in him that doubts this vision. Chirrut has felt the Force for years, and he has no reason to stop believing it now. Yet, the vision is concerning, very much so. His heart breaks at all the death, all destruction, all the suffering — is it really what's to come? Did the Force show him this to warn him, or because somehow, it can be stopped? That, he does not know._____Jyn looks at the monk. She knows him, and she knows his name."Chirrut?" She whispers, and when Chirrut smiles his wide, beaming grin, she finds herself returning the gesture, even as she can feel tears welling up in her eyes."Yes, girl," he replies, with fondness in his voice and she realizes that she wants to laugh, throw herself at him and Baze — who's now looking at her suspiciously, seemingly ready to strike and Force, he must not know — and hug them tightly, until they all can't breath._____Or, how Chirrut and Jyn are warned by the Force about what's to come, and do everything in their will to change the fate of Rogue One.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ALRIGHT, I know I already have one multi-chapter Rogue One fic in works, and I know it's a fix-it too but... Actually, no, I have nothing to say in my defense. You can never have too many fix-its, though, can you?  
> This won't be updated too often, I'm afraid, but I'll try my best!

Chirrut jerks awake violently, drenched in sweat. He can feel his heart beating wildly, as if trying to jump out of his chest — he's half surprised it hasn't happened yet. It is not usual for him to wake up like this, to be so distressed, and yet, it's happening now.

The dream — the vision — is still fresh in his mind, etched there like a prayer. Texture of the sheets under his palms feels wrong, so different from rough sand, as does the calm silence, without roaring engines and fired blasters. His mouth is dry and he can't taste salt mixing with iron anymore, though he knows that if he tried, he could. 

Only one thing doesn't change.

When he reaches with his hand to the right, there's still a warm body laying next to him. It's a comforting realization, and so it was in his vision. For Chirrut doesn't believe it to be a dream — he's spent too much time exploring the Force to think so.

It was a vision, that he is sure of.

He gets up carefully, not wanting to wake up the man sleeping next to him. Baze only grunts through his sleep, though, and warm smile graces Chirrut's lips — his partner was always a heavy sleeper. Unless there was danger around, because then he never let his guard down. He wonders, idly, if they're going to be in danger soon. 

He already knows the answer.

Chirrut moves himself to the small kitchenette, sitting in one of the chairs. It's still very early — Baze won't be up in next couple of hours — but he's not getting any more sleep this night. 

He needs to contemplate. 

There is no part in him that doubts this vision. Chirrut has felt the Force for years, and he has no reason to stop believing it now. Yet, the vision is concerning, very much so. His heart breaks at all the death, all destruction, all the suffering — is it really what's to come? Did the Force show him this to warn him, or because somehow, it can be stopped? That, he does not know.

And yet, not all of his vision is so grim. There's hope, too, and companionship. There's redemption and love, almost. This part comforts and reassures him. 

In fact, he finds himself waiting for the morning to come, he realizes. If there is something to be done — even the smallest thing — to change what the vision has shown him, he can't be any more ready to do it. He feels the pang of longing in his chest, too; he misses his companions. Ironically enough, he hasn't even met them yet, but that doesn't seem to concern him at all.

Chirrut spends rest of the night this way, trying to remember as much as possible, every single detail that could be helpful. If he can save at least one person that perished in his vision — it's going to be enough. If he can somehow help to save them all, however...

Baze's voice cuts him off from his musings. "You're up awfully early."

He smiles wistfully. 

"I am, aren't I?" Chirrut asks and he can sense that Baze is confused, but he doesn't say anything.

He never does. 

"We should go to the market early today. There's someone peculiar waiting for us to meet them."

Baze just grunts in response; if he's against his strange request, he doesn't voice it. 

Chirrut almost starts humming with excitement. They have quite an adventure before them.


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am, bearing gifts! Hope you enjoy chapter 1 ;)

Jyn Erso decides that she hates Jedha the moment her feet stand on the ground. If the planet looked grim from the ship, it looks even worse now that she's here — neverending sand and ruins, with one city in sight (or more of a fortress, she thinks). Though there's not a cloud on the sky and sun shines bright, it's surprisingly cold and Jyn finds herself shivering, even with the layers she has put on. She covers her head in a scarf, which doesn't do much for the cutting wind, and eyes jealously Cassian's parka.

Not calling him captain is something she determined early on.

When they finally leave for the city, Kay-tu begrudgingly staying behind, Jyn finds that she doesn't really have the strength to mock Cassian about the Rebellion, or even argue with him. He seems pleased by that fact and while she'd very much like to piss him off, she stays quiet.

Truth to be told, Jyn is anxious, almost distressed to some point. Since she's woken up from her short and uncomfortable nap on the ship, everything feels... off, for the lack of better word. She doesn't even remember her dream, not really, no matter how hard she tries to, and it's starting to irritate her. Jyn thinks that dreams are stupid, reserved for little children ( _whose fathers aren't cowards, bastards working for the Empire—_ ) and yet, she can't bring herself to let this one go yet. It nags on her mind the entire way to the city, making her unalert while she should be on her best, ready to fight at any given moment. Saw would always tell her to stay focused, to never let one's concentration waver.

Funny, how she remembers words of her mentor exactly now, when she's possibly closer to him that she's been in years.

Jyn tries to shake the dream — the strange feeling it has left behind — off her mind, to no avail. They enter the city, though, with Cassian making his way through the streets and dragging her with him (she's annoyed, of course she is, but she doesn't know this city at all), and she knows that now is not the time for sentimental reflections. She takes in her envinronment, scanning for anything suspicious, shoving the dream into the back of her mind.

(Most importantly, she manages to occupy her thoughts with something different than what she felt right after waking up, when she all but ran into the cockpit, her eyes wide and breath ragged, the immense relief washing over her upon seeing the droid and Cassian in their seats, even if they looked at her as if she was out of her mind. She does not know what it means, that moment of weakness, and she's not sure if she wants to know. What she felt back then, brings memories of something long forgotten, of the hatch in the cave and Jyn, she isn't quite ready yet to begin discovering that.

She doesn't seem to consider that soon, she might be forced to do just that.)

They corner a market of sorts, and with a murmur about finding his informator, Cassian is off. Jyn is thankful to see him go, his silhouette disapperaing among town-people; she's never been one for authorities to watch over her, and she pretty much despises her current situation. So even if only for a little while, she feels herself relax a bit, more free than she's been in past few months.

She looks around the market — kind of a town-square, she decides — and once again, she's hit with how grim Jedha is. There's a flash of a white armour in the crowd every now and then, people walking with their heads turned to the ground, dirty and unhappy faces hidden away from sight as much as possible. If anything, they seem defeated — definitely not like fighters, and Jyn wonders why Saw chose this place, before remembering what Cassian told her about Imperials taking kyber crystals.

She realizes there's so much she doesn't know that's been happening in the galaxy and feels a pang of shame in her chest.

She shuts it down immediately; there are reasons she's still alive, and not choosing sides is one of them.

"That's a pretty necklace you have here, girl."

Someone speaks and Jyn whips her head around, searching for the source of the voice. It's silly to assume, but she _knows_ that the comment was directed at her.

She starts pushing through the crowd, her hand finding its way under her clothes and clutching the necklace tightly. How could they know?

"Would you like to trade it for a glimpse in your future?" The voice is closer now, and Jyn recognizes the mirth in it. She picks up her pace, now elbowing her way towards this mysterious person.

"Yes, it's you I'm speaking to," a man says and finally, she can see him, sitting on the stairs.

Jyn feels a shudder run through her body and this time, it has nothing to do with the cold. The man sitting before her is blind, there is no mistaking it. She glances around, searching for his accomplice — he must have one, how else would he know about her necklace?

(And how would the accomplice know, a voice in her head whispers, if you keep it so well-hidden?

She hushes it, not wanting to know the answer.)

There's a man in the shadows of the building close to them — Jyn quickly catalogues him as a type who could hold himself in a fight, her instincts already expecting one. He must have tipped his partner off about the necklace, there's no other way.

Jyn steps towards the man sitting on the stairs. He's smiling lightly, almost invintingly, in a way which makes you want to trust him immediately and Jyn is hit with a sense of familiarity. Her brows knitted together in confusion, she decides to talk.

"How did you know about the necklace?"

Her voice comes out a bit more shaken that she'd like to, and she curses herself for letting her emotions to get the best of her on this particular day.

"The question is, why would I not?" He anwsers quizically, his fingers running over long, wooden staff.

He must be a monk of some sorts, she thinks, taking in his robes and the staff. As she looks into his blue, unseeing eyes, though, she feels like she should know him, remember from somewhere, and for a second, the strange feeling from her dream is there, too.

"Who are you?" she asks, voice trembling. "Have we met before?"

"I don't know," he replies, jokingly. "You tell me, girl. Have we?"

 Jyn looks at him, puzzled, glances at the intimidating man in the shadows, and then her gaze lands back at monk.

Suddenly, it all clicks into place.

The dream, so clouded and out of her reach, becomes real now, the scenes from it vivid and fresh, making her stumble a step back. Her heart starts beating wildly, as she remebers it all — the beach, the stolen plans, her father's last breath on Eadu, Rogue One, destruction of Jedha — it's all clear. She doesn't know what it is — was? — but she finds herself believing it, the wild dream, together with everything that it has shown her.

Jyn looks at the monk. She knows him, and she knows his name.

"Chirrut?" She whispers, and when Chirrut smiles his wide, beaming grin, she finds herself returning the gesture, even as she can feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes, girl," he replies, with fondness in his voice and she realizes that she wants to laugh, throw herself at him and Baze — who's now looking at her suspiciously, seemingly ready to strike and Force, he must not know — and hug them tightly, until they all can't breath.

She doesn't have the chance to do it. There's a hand on her arm and she's being whipped around — Jyn is ready to throw a punch at whoever grabbed her, but then she comes face to face with them and her heart skips a beat, breath catching in her throat.

"Come on, we don't have much time," Cassian speaks, urging her to go forward. She doesn't budge from the spot she's standing on, gazing at him as if she can't quite believe that he's real. He looks tired, and worn-out, without the spark in his eyes that he had on Scarif, but he's Cassian nonetheless.

"Cassian?" She manages to choke out.

He looks at her, eyebrows raised, his eyes widening from surprise at the softness of her voice, before he slips back into his mask.

"I'm touched that you remember my name but we _really_ need to go."

His tone is insisting, if a little annoyed, and Jyn finds herself breaking from the trance, suddenly realizing where — when — she is now. She aggresively pushes away the part of her which tells her to touch him, to make sure that he's real and they're not dead, blown into pieces by her father's weapon—

"Jyn," Cassian hisses and she nods quickly, scrambling to move. She casts a quick glance over her shoulder at Chirrut, who just smiles at her and gives her a nod as well.

"We'll see each other again soon, Jyn Erso! Believe in the Force, and it will guide you!" He yells after them. Cassian glances curiously at Jyn but, apparently, the time is rushing them, as he doesn't ask a question.

She knows he will, though, and she has no idea what kind of answer can she offer him.

 

* * *

 

Chirrut listens as the captain drags away Jyn Erso, absentmindedly tapping his staff against the ground. He thought he was prepared for every possible outcome of this meeting — he has seen how it went before, after all — but now he knows that he was wrong, so very wrong, as the Force surprised him once more.

Coming to the market, he's been ready for whatever was coming.

The problem is, not even once had he considered that the Force might have shown the vision to someone else too.

Chirrut thinks about the girl's presence as she approached him, as cautiously as before, and for a second, everything was the same. And then nothing was, and his heart exploded with hope.

Perhaps, he should have known, he catches himself thinking. If the Force favors someone else, of course it would be Jyn Erso, the girl with kyber crystal necklace, the girl around whom the Force basically glows. He's glad, he realizes, that it's her. It saddens him to know that she had to see all that pain and destruction too, but he also knows that there's a reason for that, and if he's not the only one the Force has spoken to, then they might really stand a chance. This thought brings a smile to his face.

He senses Baze moving to stand next to him and although he says nothing, Chirrut feels that he wants to ask many things.

"Something troubling you, my dear?" He lets the amused question slip, before realizing it might be a bad idea.

It is, he thinks, hearing Baze huff.

"You didn't tell me she knew you, too," he speaks after few moments pass. "You said we were to meet a girl, but it looked like you both know each other already."

Chirrut nods. He hasn't said much to Baze about the vision — in fact, he said almost nothing. It's not that Chirrut doesn't trust him, because he trusts him more than anyone else in the universe, perhaps even more than himself, but he also knows how strong Baze's love towards him is. And he knows what love, even if a feeling born from Light, can do, so he decides to stay silent, to not tell Baze everything until he has no other choice. It pains him, to keep a secret from someone he's always been honest with, but he also knows there's no other way, if they are to save the galaxy. For if Baze knew the danger, he would most likely take Chirrut somewhere far away, making sure they stay safe.

He'd try to, at least, because there's no way in the Force Chirrut would let him.

"We do," Chirrut offers finally, and in his mind he can see Baze raising a brow at him. "But we haven't met yet."

"That... makes no sense."

Chirrut smiles, because of course that it does, but Baze can't know it. Not yet.

"It doesn't, but it will," he says, and before his partner gets really irritated, he takes his hand into his. "I know that my words offer you no comfort, and they probably won't for some time, but I need you to believe in me, and in the Force. Everything will make sense soon enough, but only if you do that for me."

For a moment, Baze doesn't speak, but then he squeezes Chirrut's hand back.

"If you say so," he murmurs. "I still don't like it," Baze adds, but Chirrut is no longer listening, already getting up.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he jests, yet his tone is affectionate. "Come on, we have a place to be, if everything is to go the way Force wills it."

Baze grunts something under his breath, following Chirrut all the same. "And where does the Force want us this time?"

The second after Baze asks his question, an explosion goes off somewhere near them, sending people running in all directions. They both ready their weapons, careful to get out of the mob's way.

"Why, where the fight is, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, in all honesty? When I wrote the prologue, I had no idea what to do next. I just wrote it, because it felt right at the moment, but now that I've read the Rogue One novelization I feel like I finally know where this should go. Hope you guys don't mind Jyn/Cassian, but, yeah, even my gay ass apparently couldn't resist. Merry Christmas everyone! <3


	3. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has it already been a month since last update? I'm really sorry for that, but my other fic refused to let go of my attention! I hope this chapter makes up for the wait, though I'm afraid it's a bit slow at times because of the similarity to the movie. Don't worry, though, from the next chapter we're going all rogue on the movie plot ;)

Whatever Jyn remembers from the dream about the fight on streets of Jedha City is a hazy mess of fired blasters, defeaning explosions and bodies flying in every direction. She definitely doesn’t recall much enough to make her feel confident about their survival and so when Saw’s partisans start their attack — which is just as bloody as in her dream — she hastily retreats between the buildings with Cassian, seeking whatever protection she can find. She might believe in her vision, but just because she survived in it, doesn’t mean that’s going to happen now. If what she saw really is true _(it is; Chirrut knows, too_ ), then she’d rather come out of it kriffing alive.

Survive first, worry about the rest afterwards.

She risks a quick glance at Cassian — he’s standing across from her in the narrow alley, blaster in his hand, his expression mostly unreadable except for the fact that the ever present frown has deepened; he’s worried, probably. His eyes find hers and for a second, Jyn feels almost offended by how calculative his look is, as if he’s wondering whether or not she’ll turn on him in this fight, taking a first chance to run away, before she remembers that he doesn’t know. That whatever she’s seen in her dream — none of it happened. For Cassian, she’s still nothing but means to an end, unnecessary risk, a wild card: take your pick. It’s probabably a mixture of all of three, and she can’t really blame him. She knows she has to earn his trust, preferably quicker than the other time.

Jyn leaves her cover, stolen blaster clutched tightly in her hand as she scans the scene in front of them. While the dust from first explosion has long since settled, a dozen of grenades have been thrown in the meantime — the streets are clouded by sand billowing up in the air, soldiers shooting in every direction, people scaterring as far away as they can. She spots the unmistakable whiteness of stomtrooper’s armour and pulls the trigger, landing a perfect shot. She steps forward without a moment of hesitation. 

"What are you doing?!" Cassian yells over the roar of battle. She doesn’t risk turning around to face him, eyes sharp on the fighters, nor does she stop.

"We gotta fight our away through! Come on!"

He doesn’t argue, and she knows that he’s following her; after all, she’s still a valuable asset to their mission (funny, how _his_ mission became _theirs_ this time around).

Jyn spots the little girl almost too late. She doesn’t know how could she forget about her — too much information in very short time, she guesses — but here she is now, standing in the middle of the street with tears streaming down her dirty face and panic flood Jyn’s mind. For a second, she hesitates; she’s going to die anyway. The Death Star will blow her to pieces (like Scarif did to them). _I can tell Saw to evacuate the city. She might get on a transport and fly away before they fire the weapon._

She’s going to die no matter what, Jyn thinks, and runs towards the child. Cassian screams after her, barely audible in the rumble of battle, but she pays him no mind, not unlike before. She gets to the girl in few quick strides, managing to dodge the shots on her way and scoops her up. In the last moment, Jyn decides to make a run to one of the buildings instead of hiding in the shadow of destroyed tank; she can’t have Cassian killing Saw’s men, not again, not when it might change things.

Perhaps it’s the Force that lets her reach the longed cover, blaster shots miraculously missing her, only discomfort being the banging sound they leave in her ears. She jumps over a short wall, clutching the child tightly to her chest as she makes their landing.

Jyn takes a deep breath to calm herself before checking over the girl, making sure that she’s alright. Once again, her mother runs out from one of the alleys where she was hiding, gathering her child in her arms; once again, Jyn wants to shake her for leaving the girl behind.

Instead, she settles for, "Get away from this planet! The Empire will attack the city!", not even knowing if she speaks basic, or if she’s going to listen to her warning at all.

 _They’re both going to die_ , a malicious voice in her head says.

 _But I did what I could_ , she replies.

Cassian jumps into the cover right next to her and she almost shoots his head off by insinct. He doesn’t seem to notice — or pretends not to — as he gives her a quick look-over, searching for any injuries. When he doesn’t find any, he gives her a quick nod, his mouth opening to speak but he’s cut off by a sudden beeping sound next to them and _full-of-shit-bantha-fodders_ , Jyn isn’t going to let them die on Jedha to a stupid grenade. She’s already moving the moment she notices the explosive, hoisting Cassian up. They break in desperate run.

She tumbles them both to the ground few metres further as the grenade goes off. Jyn can feel the heat of the explosion licking on her back, but there’s no pain besides the one that their fall inflicted and she silently thanks the Force in her mind. That was way too close, making her wonder if changing things really is a good idea.

The side alley they step into is an ambush, though it comes as no suprise to Jyn, her telescopic baton already in her hand. She’s onto the first stormtooper before he can even raise his blaster, delivering a harsh kick to his crotch and bringing the baton down on his helmet when he falls to his knees, with as much force an she can muster. He falls limply to the ground but she doesn’t bother checking if he’s truly unconcious, already moving forward, dodging the shot fired by one of the troopers. One of them manages to land a hit on her stomach, which makes her stumble a step back as she fights the sudden nausea — _don’t let any pain overcome you, child, fight till no one can hurt you anymore, and then worry about any injuries,_ Saw Gerrera whispers in her head — and she’s right back at her attacker, striking him on the shoulder. He lets out a curse but Jyn doesn’t give him a chance to recover, somewhat awkwardly hooking her foot around his shin and making him fall to the ground, her baton banging down on his helmet the moment his body hits the sand.

The next stormtrooper comes from behind and, lacking any other ideas at the moment, Jyn elbows him in the gut. Of course, it doesn’t do much, the plastoid armour mostly hurting her arm if anything, but he falters backwards, which is all that she needs as she whips around and shoots him with her blaster. She doesn’t have a moment to catch her breath, though, two of the troopers closing in on her. Two of her three shots miss ( _what the kriff_ , she’s always been a good shot--!), but the last one hits one of them in the head and he falls to the ground. His companion, however, manages to strike Jyn with his heavy blaster — even though she tries to dodge, his weapon falls on her shoulder and it explodes with pain. She lets out a hiss but stays her ground, gritting her teeth as she uses her baton to attack. Better an injured shoulder than a cracked open skull she’d have, had she not moved in time. Jyn lands few messy hits on her opponent, her body straining, but apparently it’s enough, as he falls unconcious after the last strike of her baton on his helmet.

She turns to Cassian, her chest rising with heavy breaths, and notices him watching her, a hint of approval on his face. Before any of them can speak, an enforcer droid comes from around the corner and Jyn shoots it without any hesitation, not a tiniest bit surprised when Kay-tu appears from behind what used to be one of his brothers moments later.

"Did you know that wasn’t me?" He asks, sounding severely offended.

This time, she’s not lying when she replies.

"Sure." A simple shrug of shoulders follows her words.

"That’s strange," Kay-tu speaks, "my calculations are saying that there’s eigthy-nine percent chance of you telling the truth."

Jyn has to hide the grin that fights its way to her lips, pretending to be checking her blaster when Cassian approaches them both.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with the ship." She can barely detect the disapproval in his voice but it’s definitely here, and it feels good to not be the one on the receiving end of it for once.

Kay-tu doesn’t respond, only catches a grenade thrown their way by a stormtrooper, sending it back flying into another squad of soldiers. Jyn winces slightly at the explosion.

"You were in trouble. I thought it only reasonable to come and find you," the droid says. Then, as if an afterthought, "That’s a lot of explosions for two people blending in."

A sigh escapes Cassian’s mouth. Just then, there’s another series of blaster shots, followed by a loud explosion; they exchange a meaningful look. If the fight is still on, that means Saw’s rebels are somewhere nearby.

"Let’s go. We can hopefully find one of Gerrera’s men and get them to help us find him."

Jyn follows him because she knows he’s right, but the words still tumble out of her mouth before she can stop herself:

"You really think they’re going to help us? In the middle of a fight?"

The look that Cassian gives her is downward annoyed and tired.

"You have any other ideas?" He asks. Jyn’s lips form a tight line and he scoffs. "Thought so."

It takes all of her might not to argue with him any more, even though he’s right, of course. She’s experienced it first-hand, and yet it’s hard to fight her insincts to resist, especially when the earlier fight has left her drained of energy and bruised. Was it that hard first time around, she wonders?

They make their way towards the smoke billowing up into the sky, as the sound of explosions dies. Cassian doesn’t say anything and neither does Jyn, even the droid staying silent for a change. It’s unsettling — when there are no stormtroopers to focus on, no danger that has to be dealt immediately, Jyn finds herself drifting back to the vision. She has no idea what even happened, not really, or why she would be the one to experience it, along with Chirrut; though she has a suspicion it has a whole lot to do with the Force.

If she only remembers to bring the holo message with her, if maybe she manages to save her father, then surely all of it is gonna go differently. They won’t die, she won’t let it happen.

Her musings are cut short as they approach the plaza and she grabs Cassian by his arm before he can run into the stormtroopers.

She briefingly thought about taking a different route, but decided against it, as this is the place where they found Saw’s men in her dream; where Chirrut and Baze found them.

Once again, they’re stopped by one of the troopers. Kay-tu brings their chances of getting out of this without a fight to zero, as he speaks the nonsense about taking them to prison over and over — really, it’s almost sort of funny. Jyn tries her best not to wince when he lands a solid slap on Cassian’s face.

Then, finally, at the moment they’re being put into cuffs, a familiar voice rings over the plaza:

"Let them pass in peace!"

She can’t help the smile that appears on her face as she looks at Chirrut, even though she’s seen him not so long ago. Relief washes over her and she watches, full of awe, as he brings one stormtrooper down after another, almost effortlessly, with grace she could only dream of. Her mother had once shown her an old holovid of a Jedi knight — it was short, a little blurry, and now that she thinks back to it, she has no idea how she’s gotten it since the Empire did everything in their power to get rid of Jedi legacy — but their moves seemed exactly like Chirrut’s, fluid and elegant, reminding her of more of a dance than a fighting style.

Baze enters the plaza soon enough, his trusty canon bringing down all the remaining stormtroopers. This time, however, he doesn’t aim his weapon at them when Kay-tu declares the area clear of hostiles, nor does Chirrut have to tell him they’re no harm to them both. Jyn wonders whether Chirrut told him, or it’s just enough for Baze that he’s seen her talk to his partner.

Kay-tu helps them get rid of the cuffs and Cassian turns his attention towards her, after he sends the droid back to the ship.

"Who’s your friend? A Jedi?" He asks, sounding accusatory, and she winces. This is definitely not how it went down before.

Thankfully, Baze answers the question before she can.

"There are no Jedi here anymore, only fools and dreamers like this one."

"The Force did protect me just now, dear," Chirrut replies softly, sounding almost amused.

Baze grumbles.

"I protected you."

They have no chance to continue their bickering, however, because soon the plaza is filled by Saw’s fighters, surrounding them. Jyn prays that Cassian not killing one of their men is enough to make them less hostile, though she finds it doubtful as she watches the raised blasters.

"We’re no friends of the Empire, as you can see," Chirrut says in their general direction. The leader squints his eyes at him and Jyn bites her lip, nervously awaiting the response.

"That we can," he says finally, not lowering his blaster. "But were do your loyalties lay?"

That’s the cue for Jyn to step forward, which makes the soldiers aim their weapons at her. She pretends not to notice.

"With the Rebellion," she speaks confidently, ignoring Cassian’s drilling gaze she can feel on the back of her head, "With Saw Gerrera."

The soldier lets out a bark of laughter.

"What could you know about Saw Gerrera, girl?"

"More than you think. I’ve fought by his side since I was but a child, when a rifle was still longer than my arm. I’ve seen what he does to people he’s displeased with and I can assure you, he will not be happy if he learns you hurt us."

There’s a low murmur between the soldiers. She takes a deep breath.

"I’m the daughter of Galen Erso."

Her words seem to bring the desired effect, because the leader nods slowly, silencing his men with a wave of his hand. He holds Jyn’s gaze for a while longer and then says:

"Take them."

The soldiers close in on them, and Jyn steps backwards. She definitely had another scenario in her mind this time.

"Surely that’s not necessary?" She asks, motioning to the cloth bags that are soon to be put on their heads.

Someone in the crowd laughs menancingly.

"It is. Now, make sure to bound them and let’s go," the leader replies, barely sparing her a second glance as he turns away.

 _Blast it!_ , Jyn thinks as the world around her turns dark and suddenly her biggest problem is trying to breath through the thick, stinking material.

 

* * *

 

The walk to Saw’s Gerrera hideout is long and tiring; Chirrut’s feet start hurting somewhere in the middle of the way. He doesn’t mind the pain, not really, because at least it gives him something to focus on. He's still in good shape, of course, but the fight earlier has taken some of his strength, and this straining march isn’t helping much in recovery. And so, he tries to find something think about, as every step brings them closer to Jedha rebels.

Mostly, he listens. To their captors, as they exchange few hushed words every now and then, thinking he can’t hear them (it’s funny, Chirrut thinks, given that they know he’s blind, not deaf; but then again, they did put the bag over his head, so one can’t really be sure what they think), to sound of feet shuffling on the sand, stones being kicked on the way. He senses Baze’s reassuring presence behind him, though his constant grumbling is enough of a reminder. Chirrut can tell that Jyn Erso and captain Andor are being dragged before them, however, without hearing or seeing; the Force shines brightly around the young woman, while its darker twin muddles around Cassian. Together, they almost balance each other out, something that he didn’t notice in his vision, but now lays clear before him. He knows that light will guide their way.

Suddenly, there’s a thump of body hitting the ground, followed by a loud curse; Chirrut winces sympathetically. It sounded like a rather painful fall.

"What are you doing?" One of the soldiers asks, annoyance clear in his voice, and he can hear him walking towards what appears to be Jyn, shuffling as she tries to get up.

"What does it look like?" She hisses, her voice muffled by the bag.

"Like you’re causing trouble."

"Well, it’s kind of hard to tell where you’re going when you can’t see."

Chirrut finds it a good moment to join their discussion.

"Can’t say that I’ve experienced it," he speaks, clearly amused. Baze groans behind him and he barely stops himself from laughing.

He wonders whether Jyn looks as ashamed as she sounds like when she says, "Sorry."

The soldier grows impatient, because Chirrut can hear him shoving her forward.

"Enough of this! Move along," he says decidedly. Jyn seems to obey his order, though Chirrut thinks he can just make out her whispering "son-of-a-bantha", which causes him to chuckle.

The rest of their walk passes without any accidents, and he’s almost disappointed by that. It would be much easier if something had happened, because then Chirrut could occupy his mind with whatever occurence was thrown of them, instead of letting his thoughts wander towards much more disheartening things.

Namely, Jedha.

It hurts much more than he thought it would, knowing he won’t walk streets of this city anymore. That when they passed the gates, being taken out by the rebels, it was the last time ever he was there, last time his feet stood on the holy ground, last time he was _home_. Soon enough it will be nothing but dust, everything wiped away by the Empire’s terrifying power.

The same thought accompanied him this morning, before Baze and him left the house. It wasn’t much or luxurious by any means, modest being the best word to describe it, but it was home nonetheless, and it pained Chirrut to leave it — even if he belongs to that kind of people who believes that home is a person, not a place. What was much worse, though, was not telling Baze the truth, having to leave him in the dark when he very well knew they wouldn't be returning to the familiar bed tonight, or any other night for that matter. It was a cost he had to pay, if they were to success. If they were to _survive._

Chirrut had wondered about changing it all. What if he somehow managed to get to Saw Gerrera earlier and convince him to evacuate the city? What if he sent the message across the town’s people, telling them to leave this place at once, as there was enormous threat rising on the horizon? Would it help? Would they even _listen_?

Somehow, he doubted it, and decided against meddling into whatever was to happen to Jedha. He had a feeling the Force wouldn’t appreciate it.

It broke his heart but he was willing to bear the suffering it brought.

His thoughts are cut short as they come to a sudden stop. There’s a rustling sound, soldiers moving around more animatedly than before and Chirrut realizes that they reached their destination. Now, everything is in Jyn’s hands; who’s now yanked away, if he’s not mistaken, struggling against her captors.

The rest of them is taken in opposite direction. There's a harsh shove on his shoulder and he almost a stumbles a step, but manages to catch his balance.

"Please, I’m but an old man," he says, as they enter some sorts of chamber, the windy silence of desert replaced by life, people laughing and talking, some awful music playing in the background.

The soldier lets out a snort.

"I doubt that."

Before Chirrut can respond, feigning offence, he feels the bag being removed from his head and while it doesn’t change much in terms of his sight, he’s relieved when he can take a deep breath. Granted, the place they just entered smells terrible, as one would expected rebel hideout to, but everything is better than the stale stink of cloth he had to breathe through for past few hours.

He doesn’t resist when they’re being thrown in the cell, though he can hear his companions putting up a fight. Chirrut shakes his head — he wouldn’t expect anything else from Baze, but captain Andor should definitely be more reasonable than his hot-headed partner.

There’s a cold stone bench in the corner of the cell and Chirrut decides to rest on it, listening as Cassian shakes the metal bars, all but demanding to know where have they taken Jyn Erso; naturally, he’s ignored.

It comes as no suprise to Chirrut when the captain focuses his attention on them instead, and he can almost imagine the harsh expression on his face in his mind.

"How do you know her?"

His voice is a little too accusatory for Chirrut’s liking, but he still smiles.

"I don’t, actually," Baze quips in, sounding almost offended.

Of course, from all the moments he could choose, he decides _now_ is the best time for being moody about him not telling everything.

Force really has a strange sense of humour sometimes.

"It looks like he does, though," Cassian replies, probably motioning towards him; not that Chirrut can see it.

"He can hear you very well, you know. People tend to forget that I’m only blind, not deaf," he offers helpfully.

"Then answer my question. How do you know Jyn Erso?"

"Do you always carry your interrogations in prisons, captain?"

That seems to catch Cassian off balance, because for a second, he falls silent.

"I don’t-- This is not an interrogation," he finally says, sounding even more suspicious than before. "I’d just like to know where do you know her from. Or how."

"I’m afraid, captain, that you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you," Chirrut answers truthfully. Next to him, Baze scoffs.

He doesn’t let either of them get any more annoyed at him, though. There’s a man in a cell next to theirs who desperately needs help, and so he’s going to give it to him. Through Cassian’s hands, naturally.

"Who’s that in the next cell?"

"You--"

Captain's Andor words die on his lips, as he turns his attention to Baze, whom Chirrut can already hear moving towards the crate in the wall. From behind it, he senses the distress and chaos, clouding the light which barely shines through.

It’s here, though, he knows that. It just needs a little help.

Baze curses.

"An Imperial pilot. I’m going to kill him--"

Before he can do it, and before Cassian stops him, Chirrut reaches towards his partner, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop," he says softly. Baze listens to him, of course, trusting his judgement, even though it’s clear he’s confused. The time to explain everything will be later, when they're out of here.

Chirrut hears the captain moving to the crate in quick few strides and listens how he tries to coach the pilot into cooperation. His first few tries are unsuccesful but then the man stirs, the light within him slowly winning over the chaos left by some terrible monster.

"I’m the pilot," he says, voice shaky, and Chirrut can’t help but smile.

Rogue One is assembled.


	4. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit on the shorter side but I hope you enjoy it!

There’s familiar austerity in the narrow, stony corridors of rebels’ hideout. As one of the soldiers drags Jyn towards Saw, she can’t help but think it looks the same as all of the countless bases of his that she’s been in before; hastily put together, unfriendly, clearly meant to be nothing but weapon’s warehouse with uncomfortable cots to rest on, despicable alcohol stashed underneath them. It seems that, even though they parted their ways years ago ( _he abandoned you_ , a voice in her head whispers), Saw Gerrera didn’t change much — or at least not when it comes to organization matters.

The man himself is nothing but unrecognizable, Jyn knows that from her vision; yet she still has to force herself not to flinch when she comes face to face with him, entering the small chamber. He’s but a shadow of the warrior he used to be. The man who trained her, who _raised_ her is gone. His body is more of an artificial one now, every step he takes clearly costing much effort, metal limbs clinking against the ground.

Anger still flows through her veins when she looks at him but this time, she can’t stop the pity flowing over her. Jyn spent her adolescence thinking he was one of the strongest men in the galaxy, perfect soldier and leader — now he looks like nothing of sorts, as he barely stands together in front of her, leaning on a cane.

His eyes, she notes, hold the same fire as ever.

It’s the fire that burns inside her.

“Jyn,” he rasps, once deep voice barely recognizable. “I cannot believe it... is that really you?”

She doesn’t want to fight him, not again, but it’s hard to keep her temper down.

“Didn’t expect me, I take it.”

“We’re friends still, are we not?”

His voice is gentle, unlike of the man she used to know. Of the man who took her under his care when she was a small, terrified girl, hidden in the cave.

Jyn can’t allow herself to let her emotions get better of her, not again. There’s too much at stake, she knows that now.

During their march to the hideout, she carefully considered her options. It was tempting, very much so, to tell him about the need to evacuate the city, to warn him about the attack but she knew Saw. He wouldn’t be suspicious — he’d think her mad or worse, a spy — and throw her in a cell, together with her companions. As much as it pains her, she has to be cautious; forget about Jedha City, about the girl she saved from death on the streets. Saw Gerrera is a clever man and right now, he’s the one who holds the key to salvation of the Rebellion.

“We would be,” she replies calmly, “had you not abandoned me.”

To his credit, he doesn’t even flinch.

“I was protecting you, Jyn. You know that.”

“You left me behind, barely sixteen, with nothing but a blaster,” she says through gritted teeth. “You could have told me! Instead you ran, leaving me to survive all by myself.”

She doesn’t say _like my father did_ , but it hangs in the air.

“I knew you’d make it, you were my best soldier,” he states. “You’re a daughter of Imperial scientist, Jyn. People were starting to figure it out— people who’d hurt you, just at chance of getting to me. I couldn’t risk that.“

Jyn can’t stop the hollow laugh that escapes her throat. Of course she survived; that’s what she’s best at, isn’t it? Surviving and not caring about much else.

That’s what she _was_ best at. Not anymore. 

“But today, Jyn? Of all days?“ Saw asks, sounding wounded. There’s the suspicion she was waiting for and Jyn almost sighs with relief. It’s so much easier to deal with it than battle their long-forgotten demons.

“Did they send you here to kill me?“

“No,” she responds, her voice a little shaky. She always knew Saw Gerrera was a paranoid man — part of what made him a perfect soldier — but to think he’d consider that she would kill him? It hurts more than she’d like to admit.

He takes a step towards her.

“Then why did you come? In the name of Rebel Alliance, no less?“

This time, Jyn isn’t suprised by his thorough research, answer already prepared in her mind.

“They want my father. Someone tipped them off— they think he sent a message. To you,” she admits sincerely. “They thought it’d be easier to get through if I was here. Which, I suppose, was right.”

She notices Saw relax, though his gaze still stays sharp on her face.

“ _Who_ sent you? Was it Draven?”

“Draven, Mon Mothma, _all_ of them. I don’t know more names; barely had any time to look at their faces before they threw me in the ship to get to you.” What she hopes appears as a nonchalant shrug follows her words.

He’s watching her with cold calculation on his face, clearly contemplating what she said. It’s now or never, she realizes.

“They want the message,” she speaks, a little too hasty, too feverish. She finds it hard to stay calm when she knows how much exactly is at stake, how their time is running short.

“And what is it that _you_ want?” he asks, not missing a beat.

It’s a good question, one that Jyn haven’t had time to ask herself amidst the fight. She remembers exactly how in her vision she all but laughed into his face, sneering as she told him she just wanted to get out, be free. How she spat that the cause meant nothing to her, the only thing she cared about her own safety.

None of it is true now; she holds herself a little stronger when she responds:

“I want the same thing. To see the Empire destroyed.”

For a second, something shines in his eyes — something akin to pride — but it’s gone as quickly as it appears.

“You’re not part of the Alliance.” There’s no question in his voice as he speaks. Jyn nods.

“I’m not.”

“And you clearly don’t work for me.” Another nod.

“Then why now? Why did you decide to fight?” He asks, his gaze penetrating her skull. It takes all of her might not to retreat from the intensity of his eyes, from the weight of his question. But Jyn Erso is no longer a coward.

“Maybe I decided it’s time to stop running,” she replies truthfully. “Maybe surviving wasn’t just cutting it for me anymore.”

Saw watches her closely before nodding, and she can tell that he’s satisfied with her answer.

“I have something to show you,” he speaks, his hand reaching towards the console. Jyn recognizes the holochip immediately. “It’s the message the Rebellion is seeking. The pilot believed it was true, for what it’s worth.”

She stops him before he can insert it in the comm unit.

“Wait!”

He turns around to look at her, confusion clear on his face. Jyn finds herself next to him in few quick strides and for a second, fear flashes in Saw’s eyes. She tries not to dwell on it.

“We don’t have time. You need to give me the message and release the people who were with me,” her tone is insisting, none of her internal nervousness reflecting in it, for which she’s glad.

Saw, however, doesn’t move his hand, fingers clasped around the holochip.

“Please,” she says, sounding more desperately than before, when he doesn’t respond. “We _need_ to go. Tell your men to let my friends go and come with us.”

Jyn doesn’t remember when exactly the Empire sentences Jedha to destruction but she’s sure it’s coming any moment now.

“Why you’re in such a rush, child?” He asks, his eyes narrowing at her. She has no time for his suspicion anymore and, despite her better judgement, lays her hand on his arm. Saw looks alarmed for a second but then his expression softens.

“The Empire-- they will attack the city,” she speaks quickly, her gaze wandering towards the window behind them. “I need the message, we don’t have much time left.”

That’s all it takes for him to return to the man she used to know as a child. Suddenly, his gaze is as sharp as ever, none of earlier weakness left; even his posture somewhat more intimidating than before. Her words about the upcoming attack seem to finally bring the desired effect, sobering him up.

Before either of them can speak, the world _shakes_. Jyn doesn’t need to look through the window to know what’s happening, yet she still does it, her fists clenched as she watches Jedha City being wiped off the surface — the power of Death Star swallows the horizon, taking the city on the way of explosion, its roar defeaning.

Saw appears calmer than she’d expect him to. He shoves the holochip in her hand, his fingers tightening around hers briefly to make sure she holds it securely in her hand. She looks at him, notes the defeated look in his eyes.

“Go,” he whispers, barely audible over the thunder of destruction. Jyn shakes her head; she’s not letting him go, not this time.

“I’m not leaving you.”

He smiles at her, in a way that painfully reminds her of the old days.

“Look at me, Jyn,” he motions towards his body, his prosthetic limbs. “There’s not much of me left. I’m no use to the Rebellion, not anymore.”

“That’s not true,” she hisses, fighting the tears that sting at her eyes. “You can still help. Come with me.”

“It’s in your hands now, Jyn. I’ve done what I could,” he speaks with such gentleness in his voice that she has to swallow the sob threatening to break out from her mouth. She can’t let him die, not again. He abandoned her, yes, but he’s her mentor all the same.

Force, he’s like a father to her.

“Now go,” Saw says definitively.

“I--”

“Jyn!”

She whips her head around, finding herself surprised at the sight of Cassian, even though she knew he’d come; he stands in front of her, panting, his eyes wide as he looks from her to Saw. In the corner of her eye, she sees Saw nod at him.

“Go, both of you. Save yourselves,” he repeats his words and that’s when Jyn knows he’s not coming. She’d never be able to convince him — it was a naive dream for her to believe otherwise.

Before they can exit the chamber, she makes a move to grab his hand, the one which hasn’t been replaced by a prosthetic. Something unspeakable passes between them as she squeezes it but it’s gone too soon, Cassian already dragging her towards the door.

She’s leaving a man who raised her to death. Again.

Saw’s final words ring in her ears when she runs with Cassian through the crumbling hideout.

_Save the Rebellion! Save the dream!_

 

 

* * *

 

 

Chirrut is not surprised at all when captain Andor manages to open their cell door after the chaos ensues, only to run out in hope of finding Jyn Erso moments later. In fact, he was beginning to grow rather impatient as he awaited the first tremble of the ground, even though he knew what it was going to bring. Or perhaps that’s exactly why he felt this way, anxious for the uninventable, so he could put it all behind him. Leave Jedha and the destruction that the Empire brought to it.

(He knows it won’t ever leave him, not when it hurts so much. Not when he still doesn’t know if he did the right thing, not trying to change things, or if he’ll manage to do so now. If he’ll be given a chance to do it at all).

When their cell finally shakes, he’s prepared for it, as much as one could prepare for an event like that. It’s a relief to escape their temporary prison, though Chirrut has to admit that it’s definitely not the worst that he’s been thrown into together with Baze.

They follow Cassian’s steps to the table where the rebels recklessly threw their weapons on. It only takes a moment for Chirrut to locate his trusty staff and he smiles at the familiar feel of the wooden handle under his palm. His connection to the Force and sensitive hearing is more than enough to make him confident about his surroundings, but it brings him comfort to wield the staff as well.

“The pilot,” he softly prompts his partner, motioning towards the cell next to theirs.

“I know,” Baze grunts, not sounding too happy about having to rescue an Imperial pilot. He obliges begrudgingly, shuffling as he adjust his weapon — a sound that Chirrut has heard so many times in his life, he has it memorized. The pilot — Bodhi, Bodhi Rook is his name, he remembers that — lets out a startled sound, most probably terrified at the sight of the cannon. Before he can truly comprehend what’s happening, though, Baze shoots the control panel to his cell door and they slide open with a hiss.

The ground keeps shaking underneath their feet; a sign there’s not much time left.

“Come on, let’s go!” Chirrut calls to him, listening as Bodhi scrambles to his feet. He doesn’t wait for him, fully expecting the younger man to follow — the ceiling is crumbling, dust falling on his head and it’s only a matter of time before the place falls apart.

They are running through the corridors now, Saw Gerrera’s soldiers bumping in them on the way. The hideout is being swallowed by chaos and Chirrut almost sways with the weight of panic and fear, rolling off in waves from people surrounding them. He manages to focus on the escape, however, pushing forward.

“Wait! They’ll kill us,” comes Bodhi’s terrified voice. “You don’t know those men, they--”

He’s cut off by the roar of Baze’s laughter. Chirrut almost smiles, too, but then he remembers where exactly they are and _what_ is happening outside. He settles for giving the pilot a brief pat on his shoulder as they near what he hopes is the exit (even if he couldn’t remember it from his vision, the masses of soldiers running this way indicate the escape route well enough).

“Forgive him,” he says. “My partner has a strange sense of humour.”

Bodhi doesn’t respond, possibly too focused on finding his way towards their salvation.  _If he only knew what is it that he's running to._

Chirrut recognizes they’re finally out of the rebels’ hideout immediately, the sun warm on his face and roar of the city being torn apart defeaning in his ears. He grimaces and almost runs into Baze who stops abruptly. Not for the first time, the guardian can’t help the guilt that washes over him; guilt that he didn’t prepare his partner for this.

But then again, how could one prepare the person they love for something so terrible?

Behind him, Bodhi lets out a broken wail.

“Baze,” Chirrut starts, softly, his hand on the other’s man shoulder. He can feel him trembling, though it has nothing to do with the way that the ground is shaking beneath them.

“The city,” Baze murmurs, shock evident in his voice. “It’s--”

He trails off, as if he doesn’t know what to say. Not much can be said to describe the extent of destruction that the Empire’s planet killer brings with it.

“I know,” Chirrut replies, his voice barely audible over the thunder, which is becoming louder with every passing moment. “I know.”

He doesn’t hear their ship arrive, but he senses it when captain Andor and Jyn run past them, yelling for everyone to get inside. It seems that’s all that Baze needs to shake off the initial shock upon seeing Jedha City disappear together with the horizon, and guides him towards the rebel shuttle.

The moment they tumble on board, the pilot following their steps, everything becomes frantic. The captain keeps shouting, barking command after command at his droid companion as they maneuver their way out of the city collapsing on the ship's back. Chirrut doesn’t know much about flying — he never even left the planet — but he realizes they need more than luck to get out of this alive.

(But they will, the vision was clear in that aspect, was it not?)

He finds himself clutching Baze’s hand tightly, the prayer on his lips.

“I’m one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”

It’s only when they jump in the hyperspace, leaving Jedha to crumble behind them, that Chirrut lets go of his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, writing this one was like pulling teeth. I enjoyed changing Jyn's and Saw conversation because I really dislike what happens in the actual movie but besides that... Idk, I was afraid of repeating too much of what's said and what happens in the movie and so Chirrut's part is just ???  
> Their parts don't really flow together too well, which I'm really sorry for, but I had to get over Jedha so we can move on.


End file.
